VACCINE HESITANCY

Subject: Science & tech

Context : The trend of vaccine hesitancy has increased in many countries between 2015 and 2019, showed a study published in journal The Lancet.

Concept:

WHO defines Vaccine hesitancy as a delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite the availability of vaccination services. Vaccine hesitancy has been reported in more than 90% of countries in the world.

Reasons for Vaccine Hesitancy

• The main issue with Vaccine hesitancy is misinformation.
• Religious propaganda that the vaccine may contain microbes, chemicals and animal-derived products which is forbidden by religious laws.
• Social media is used in stirring fear in people by falsely blaming vaccines for unrelated diseases is the bedrock of the Vaccine hesitancy all across the globe.
• For example, recently some sections in India are refraining from the polio vaccine. This is due to the misconception that the polio vaccine caused illness, infertility and was ineffective.
• Vaccine-derived diseases: Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) contains weakened but live poliovirus. This virus from the vaccine is excreted by immunized children which can move from one person to another.
• This allows the virus to stick around and mutate to a more virulent form, raising the threat of vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV).
• Inconvenience in accessing vaccines is also the leading cause of Vaccine hesitancy.